Yasovarman I
| Yasovarman I | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Khmer king | |
| Reign | 889–910 |
| Predecessor | Indravarman I |
| Successor | Harshavarman I |
| Died | 910 |
| Spouse | Sister ofJayavarman IV |
| Issue | Ishanavarman II Harshavarman I |
| Khmer | យសោវរ្ម័នទី១ |
| House | Varman Dynasty |
| Father | Indravarman I |
| Mother | Indradevi |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Yasovarman I(Khmer:ព្រះបាទយសោវរ្ម័នទី១) was anAngkorianking who reigned in 889–910 CE. He was called "Leper King".[1]
Early years
[edit]
Yasovarman was a son of KingIndravarman Iand his wife Indradevi.[2][3]
Yasovarman was said to be a wrestler. Inscriptions say he was capable of wrestling with elephants. The inscriptions also say he was capable of slaying tigers with his bare hands.
His teacher was thepurohitBrahmanVamasiva, part of theDevarajacult priesthood. Vamasiva's guru, Sivasoma, was connected to the Hindu philosopherAdi Shankara.[4]: 111
After the death of Indravarman, a succession war was fought by his two sons, Yasovarman and his brother, a case ofsibling rivalry.It is believed that the war was fought on land and on sea by theTonlé Sap.In the end Yasovarman prevailed.
Because of his father had sought to deny his accession, according to inscriptions cited by L.P. Briggs, "Yasovarman I ignored his claim to the throne through his father,Indravarman I,or throughJayavarman II,the founder ofAngkordynasty, and built up an elaboratefamily tree,connecting himself through his mother bymatrilineal successionwith ancient kings ofFunanandChenla."[5]
Yasovarman I claims to be a descendant of the ruling clans of Sambhupura, Aniditapura,Vyadhapura.This was found on 12 different stone inscriptions located in different parts of the country.[6]
Yasovarman I led a failed invasion ofChampa,as documented atBanteay Chmar.[7]: 54
Yasovarman I's achievements
[edit]During the first year of his reign, he built about 100monasteries(ashrams) throughout his kingdom.[4]: 111–112 Eachashramwas used as a resting place for theasceticand the king during his trips. In 893, he began to construct the Indratataka Baray (reservoir) that was started by his father. In the middle of thislake(now dry), he built thetempleLolei.[8]
Yasovarman was one of the great Angkorian kings. His greatest achievement was to move the capital fromHariharalayatoYashodharapurawhere it remained there for 600 years.[4]: 103 It was at this new capital where all of the great and famous religiousmonumentswere built, e.g. theAngkor Wat.There were many reasons for the move. The old capital was crowded with temples built by the previous kings. Thus, the decision wasreligious:In order for a new king to prosper, he must build his own temple and when he died it must become hismausoleum.Second, the new capital was closer to theSiem Reap Riverand is halfway between theKulen hillsand theTonlé Sap.By moving the capital closer to the sources of water the king could reap many benefits provided by both rivers.
Yashodharapura was built on a low hill calledBakheng,and connected to Hariharalaya by a causeway. Simultaneously, he started to dig a huge reservoir at his new capital. This new artificial lake, the Yashodharatataka, or theEast Baray,with 7.5 by 1.8 km long dykes.[9]: 64–65
TheLolei,Phnom Bakheng,and theEast Baray[10]are monuments to this ruler,[11]: 360–362 all located nearCambodia's national treasure, a later construction,Angkor Wat.Phnom Bakheng was one of three hilltop temples created in theKhmer Empire’sAngkorcapital region during Yasovarman’s reign, the other two beingPhnom KromandPhnom Bok.[4]: 113
Posthumous name
[edit]Yasovarman died in 910 and received theposthumous nameofParamashivaloka.He hadleprosy.[12]
Family
[edit]Wife of Yasovarman was a sister ofJayavarman IV.She born two sons to Yasovarman –Ishanavarman IIandHarshavarman I.[13]
Notes
[edit]- ^Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & the Greater Mekong by Nick Ray, Tim Bewer, Andrew Burke, Thomas Huhti, Siradeth Seng. Page 212. Footscray; Oakland; London: Lonely Planet Publications, 2007.
- ^Some Aspects of Asian History and Cultureby Upendra Thakur. Page 37.
- ^Saveros, Pou(2002).Nouvelles inscriptions du Cambodge(in French). Vol. Tome II et III. Paris:EFEO.ISBN2-85539-617-4.
- ^abcdCoedès, George(1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.).The Indianized States of Southeast Asia.trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press.ISBN978-0-8248-0368-1.
- ^Briggs,The Ancient Khmer Empire;page 105.
- ^Briggs, L. P. (1951). The Ancient Khmer Empire. American Philosophical Society, 41(1), page 61.
- ^Maspero, G., 2002, The Champa Kingdom, Bangkok: White Lotus Co., Ltd.,ISBN9789747534993
- ^Jessup, p.77; Freeman and Jacques, pp.202 ff.
- ^Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson,ISBN9781842125847
- ^Goloubev, Victor.Nouvelles récherches autour de Phnom Bakhen. Bulletin de l'EFEO(Paris), 34 (1934): 576-600.
- ^Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd.,ISBN9786167339443
- ^The Rough Guide to Cambodiaby Beverley Palmer andRough Guides.
- ^Briggs, Lawrence Palmer.The Ancient Khmer Empire.Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 1951.
References
[edit]- Coedes, George.The Indianized States of Southeast Asia.East-West Center Press 1968.
- Higham, Charles.The Civilization of Angkor.University of California Press 2001.
- Briggs, Lawrence Palmer.The Ancient Khmer Empire.Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 1951.